Trial Studies Effects of Resveratrol on Alzheimer’s Patients

A study investigating the effects of the dietary polyphenol resveratrol in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) has produced some promising results. Professor R. Scott Turner, MD, PhD, director of the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, and colleagues conducted the randomized, placebo-controlled, 52-week trial of resveratrol in 119 people diagnosed with mild to moderate AD. The primary goal of the study was to investigate whether resveratrol had any effect on several AD biomarkers and brain volume. The highest dose of resveratrol tested was 1 gram by mouth twice daily – equivalent to the amount found in approximately 1,000 bottles of red wine. Results showed that participants treated with resveratrol exhibited little or no change in levels of amyloid-beta40 (Abeta40) in both blood and cerebrospinal fluid, whereas levels of Abeta40 dropped in those taking a placebo. Levels of Abeta40 are known to decline as AD progresses – as documented in those in the placebo group, therefore the discovery that resveratrol may be able to stabilize Abeta40 levels is promising. Results also showed that resveratrol was safe and well tolerated. However, one result of the study surprised the researchers – brain MRI scans conducted before and after the study showed that resveratrol-treated patients lost more brain volume than the placebo-treated group. At present, the researchers do not know how to interpret this discovery: “A similar decrease in brain volume was found with some anti-amyloid immunotherapy trials," said Professor Turner. The current hypothesis is that the treatments may reduce inflammation of the brain that is seen with AD.